Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay is praising the work Canadian farmers do to mark Canada’s Agriculture Day.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, MacAulay says during his travels across the country, he is reminded of “how lucky we are to have the best producers in the world supporting our economy and filling our plates.”

MacAulay is also “optimistic” about the future of Canadian agriculture and sees “so much potential for the sector.”

He encourages Canadians to take the time to thank a farmer for the hard work they do year-round to provide top-quality food.

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the whole agriculture and agri-food system employed 2.3 million people in 2023, representing 1 in 9 jobs in Canada.

The agriculture and food sector contributed  $150.0 billion, or roughly 7 per cent, of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023. Canada’s food and beverage processing sector represents 15.5 per cent of manufacturing GDP and 17.8 per cent of manufacturing jobs.